


chapter 7: shared secrets in hyperspace

by rogueonestan



Series: when our paths cross (wopc) [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, i guess??, idk - Freeform, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 23:15:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30113547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueonestan/pseuds/rogueonestan
Summary: after being identified by Guild members on the deserted planet of Gopani, you and the Mandalorian seek refugee on yet another planet, but this time, Mando protects you in a way that he's never done before.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & Din Djarin, Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda & Reader, Din Djarin & Reader, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, Grogu | Baby Yoda & Reader
Series: when our paths cross (wopc) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138634
Kudos: 3





	chapter 7: shared secrets in hyperspace

The first thing that Din hears when he wakes up from his nap is laughter. From where he currently is, he isn’t able to hear precisely what’s going on directly above him, but knows that you’re doing fine by the string of laughter that follows after you say something.  
He’s immediately met with the familiarity of his surroundings being red as he puts on his helmet to investigate what the mysterious noise is.  
Enthusiastic clapping meets his ears when he makes it to the upper level of the Crest. The first thing he sees when the cockpit door opens is the little green baby sitting on the control panel as you sit in the pilot’s seat. With the chair facing away from him, Mando can’t see much except for the movement of your arms.  
“Peek-a-boo!” You say enthusiastically at the child in front of you, who, once again, giggles and claps energetically for the dozenth time today. After you had offered to watch over everything while your partner took a nap, you decided to pass the time by playing a game from your childhood with the baby. You didn’t think the little one would be so pleased with such a simple game, but the longer you play it, the more entertained he is.  
“What are you doing?”  
A sudden voice pauses your actions. Whipping around the chair, you find Mando standing in the doorway.  
“Playing.”  
“‘Playing?’”  
“Yeah, they don’t have games on Mandalore?”  
“I’m not from Mandalore.”  
“Oh, sorry, I just assumed-“ You cut yourself as you break contact with his visor and glance down at the floor, “I’m sorry.”  
“It’s alright.” He reassures you with the nod of his helmet.  
Rather than pondering on your assumption, you change the subject as you get up from his seat, where he sits shortly after, “how was your nap?” “Much needed, thank you.”  
“You don’t have to thank me. You would’ve done the same.” Mando only hums in agreement as the familiar sense of silence fills the air.  
The smile on your face is nearly audible after you hear his words. You would gladly stay up a few extra hours after a long day to make sure that your partner gets the much-needed rest that his body so desperately needs. He has sacrificed so many opportunities to get sleep when he needed it the most just to make sure that you’re comfortable. You could do at least the same for him.  
When you turn around to go sit down in your usual seat when the recent familiar feeling of leather on your bare skin stops you in your tracks.  
“Can you take him?” Mando asks as he refers to the baby who has taken it upon himself to begin pressing random buttons when his source of entertainment was suddenly deprived from him.  
“Yeah, come here, little guy.” You say as you scoop the little one easily in your arms as you make your way back to your seat. The baby sits in your lap as you sit in a criss cross position. The baby’s fists become devoured when your hands cover his.  
A few buttons clicking can be heard in the room as you continue to occupy yourself with the baby in front of you.  
“Where did you learn how to do that?” Mando suddenly asks as he turns around in his seat to face you, “whatever you were doing with him?”  
“You mean peak-a-boo?” You ask as he nods at you, “I don’t know, I guess it’s one of the few things that I remember about my childhood.”  
“You don’t remember a lot about your childhood?”  
“My parents, my home, were stripped from me from a young age. With the rise of the Empire, they destroyed those who wouldn’t kneel down at them, and my home suffered an awful fate for trying to take a stand.” Awful memories from your childhood go through your head, mainly from the day that you were taken away from your first family, “but one of the few things that I remember is my mother playing that game with me when I was very little.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay. Everything in the galaxy happens for a reason. We may not know why, but there’s purpose behind every action.”  
“You believe that?”  
“I do. Not everything can be as simple as to why the grass grows, but there’s a purpose behind every action, no matter how little. Every action connects to another in some way.”  
Mando lets out a hum, clearly taking in your words.  
Thinking that the conversation stopped there, you recover the baby’s hands with yours and begin to sway him in your arms.  
“The Mandalorians took me in when I was very young.”  
Hearing the words coming from his modulator make you halt your actions. Your breath getting caught in your throat. The only time Mando has talked about the history of his people is when a Mandalorian flew next to the side of the Crest and offhandedly admitted that there was a covert of his people underneath the city that you became oh so familiar with. You wait for him to continue but he never does.  
“On Nevarro?”  
“No, we had to go our separate ways from the others when the Purge happened. The Empire was hunting the remaining clans so we were forced into hiding.”  
Hearing about the history he’s gone through with his people breaks your heart. The possibility of him not losing one but two families must have been difficult. No wonder he’s so hesitant to be as open as you are.  
“I’m sorry, that must’ve been awful.”  
“This is the Way.”  
Another question pops up in your brain, but you’re hesitant to ask. Mando’s already revealed the most that he ever has in all of the months that you’ve known him, and you don’t want to push him to where he’s uncomfortable. Being the very observant partner that he is, he can already see the wheels turning in your head.  
“What is it?” He asks.  
“What does that exactly mean? You always say it, but like, what does it mean?”  
When Mando doesn’t answer you immediately, you thought that was a sign of how uncomfortable you made him, like you just took a step over an unspoken boundary. Unknown to you, Mando’s just trying to formulate his thoughts into words.  
“It’s the ideals that are vital to Mandalorians. It’s the most important thing to my people. It’s like, repairing what has been taken from us.”  
Now it’s your turn to hum in response.  
You may not know a whole bunch about his people or his culture, but with each passing day, you get the opportunity to learn more and more about them.  
“Is it like everything happening for a reason?”  
“Yeah, I guess.”  
Silence lingers in the air again, not that you mind. Your hands release their grasp with the baby’s without you realizing it. You’re too wrapped up in your own thoughts, too busy pondering over Mando’s words.  
Maybe the people you were both raised from weren’t as different as you thought.  
The distant tapping noise of the console is the last thing on your mind. A tug on your sleeve is what brings you back to reality. When you glance in the baby’s big brown eyes, you can’t ignore the heavy feeling that’s in your chest. You’re so glad that you’re finally able to see a different side of your partner, even if it’s for a brief moment, but you can’t help but think about the fact of why he’s the way that he is. You can relate to how you both were adopted into different cultures from such a young age, but his upbringing must’ve been so terrible. Not only did he have to see the people that adopted him be attacked, but also, who knows what happened to his first family? Were they taken away from him at such a young age too? Do the memories of his childhood make it nearly impossible to sleep at night just like how it is for you?  
The dark thoughts become nonstop. Shaking the thoughts from your head, you scoop up the baby and get up to place him back in his seat. As you gently place him in his seat, the familiar sound of the ship coming into orbit can be heard.  
“So, where are we now?” You ask as you peer over Mando’s shoulder to glance at the navigation map. Your hand gently touches his shoulder as you try to figure where you are.  
The placement of your hand doesn’t go unnoticed by Mando though, it feels as if that part of his body has been lit up by your body warmth. As much as he’s beginning to like to feeling of your skin on his, he tries not to think about it too much, “Crecorvis system, you know it?”  
“Never heard of it.”  
As Mando presses a few buttons, the system becomes clearer and clearer, “looks like there’s a few planets nearby,” he begins as he tries to get more details of a planet that has caught his attention. As the map zooms in on the planet, Mando’s fingers flex around the ship’s steering control.  
His nervous tick catches your eye. Your thumb lightly grazes around the area where his neck cloth only covers his skin- the closest skin-to-skin contact you’ll ever probably experience with him.  
The feeling of your thumb rubbing against the cloth is a bit distracting at first. It’s all he can focus on. It makes it even harder and harder for him to answer you. He’s the best hunter in this parsec, he shouldn’t be as distracted as he is with you.  
“Banesh. The population density is hardly any bigger than the last planet we were on, so it’s a start.”  
“So, we land. Get a feel for the town then move on from there.”  
“Exactly what I was thinking.”  
Nodding your head in agreement, you make sure that you and the baby are prepared for the upcoming landing.

“How’s your wound?” Your partner asks you as you observe him looking through his weaponry cabinet.  
“Better, thanks. It’ll heal with time.”  
“You should probably stay back- in case anything happens.”  
“Yeah, I think that’s a wise idea. Plus, someone’s gotta look after the little guy.” You gesture your head towards the baby that’s currently roaming about the hull.  
The door to the cabinet closes with a noisy clang as your partner checks over that he has everything he needs before he departs.  
“Here, I’ll let you know if anything happens.” He says as he hands you a comm link, “and remember-“  
“Only comm in emergencies, yeah, I know.” You finish his sentence for him as you follow him to the hatch door. The familiar sound of the hatch lowering itself puts a pause on your conversation as you watch the ramp get lower and lower to the ground.  
“Are you sure you’ll be fine on your own?”  
“I think I can take a nap without supervision.” He only tilts his helmet at you, clearly not impressed with your sarcastic comment, “yes, I’ll be fine.” You smile at his consideration.  
“I can take the kid if you want.”  
“No, no, it’ll be too obvious.” His tilted glance at you only stays, “we should’ve been separated last time like you said. We can’t take any more chances- not yet, at least.”  
One of your hands unconsciously goes to rub the sore area of your throat where the bruises are the most prominent. As you lean up against the nearby wall, your eyes go from glancing at the nearby trees and the blue sky to the dark floor.  
“What happened back there was not your fault.”  
“I know, but it could’ve been prevented.” You shake the blame from your head, “you should go.” A low, ‘you sure?’ is hardly audible from your partner, but you just nod your head and force a smile on your face, “yeah, I’ll be fine.”  
A strong yet firm grip on your shoulder brings your line of sight back towards your partner. Much like how your hand touched him earlier, Mando gently rubs the slightly exposed skin of your shoulder in support. The feeling of his gloved finger slightly rubbing your skin brings a set of chills down your back. Before you’re able to focus on it, his touch immediately leaves you as he walks down the ramp, leaving you alone with a heavy feeling in your chest for the second time today.  
His figure gets smaller and smaller the further he walks away.  
It seems that you’re in some sort of daze because you continue to glance at the landscape in front of you, even long after Mando’s figure can no longer be seen. A tugging on the ends of your pants catches your attention.  
As you look down at the floor you see that the baby has his little claws wrapped around your ankle as his owl-like eyes look up at you, waiting to see what the rest of your day will bring.  
“Hello there, little guy. What do you want to do today?” You ask as you swoop him up in your arms. Pressing the button that closes up the hatch door, you bounce the infant in your arms as the sunlight that once lit up the room is now replaced with artificial lights. 

The longer he walks amongst the sea of trees, the more Mando worries about those he left alone on the Crest.  
Being apart from each other is vital for your safety. When you vocalized how you would be safe on the last planet you were on, only to be proven oh so wrong by the two hunters confronting you in that alleyway, he can’t let something like that happen again anytime soon. He knew that he should’ve gone alone, but your stubbornness wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. When he saw the two men hitting on you in the cantina, his anxieties went through the roof because of the situation you were put in. Then, seeing the blood drip down your arm because of a stab wound that you got only made him feel even worse. He wasn’t able to protect you from harm's way when you needed him to. When he saw you helpless on the ground, that’s when the remaining air in his lungs was taken from him. He saw you gain the upper hand in the fight, but his heart rate never raced as quickly as it had when he thought that only two out of the three of you would return back to the Crest alive.  
He promised that he would protect you at all costs when he made the offer of the two of you being partners. He wouldn’t have been able to stay true to his word. He would’ve broken one of the most important virtues of his people.  
He would’ve failed himself.  
He would’ve failed you.  
He wouldn’t have been able to properly provide for you and the little one, the two people he swore under his protection.  
There’s nothing that he can do to change the way things went, but he’ll be able to protect the ones that he left alone on the Crest by being away for a day or two. Hopefully, he can find some work that won’t take him long to finish. Then, he’ll be back with you and his worries won’t continue to gnaw at him.  
But first things first, he has to get to the nearby town.  
The town that he’s looking for isn’t that far from where he parked the ship, only a few miles outside of the town. It’s not an unusual precaution that Mando takes, but it’s one that he’s especially willing to take to make sure that you and the little one are protected as much as you can be while he’s away.  
If someone was able to identify you as quickly as they had on the last planet that you were on, then who knows how long you have here before someone recognizes him. Word travels fast in this part of the galaxy. Almost as fast as the birds that fly by high in the sky.  
The constant chirps of the birds become normal as Mando gets closer to the town. Their nests can be seen high in the branches as Mando walks past them. The mothers protecting their children by not leaving their side. The fathers flying in the direction of their homes to provide for their families.  
Though the three of you aren’t a family, images of you and the baby appear in Mando’s head.  
The strong sense of connection you have with the baby. He hasn’t even been in your lives for more than a week and he’s already changed the dynamic of your relationship for the better. More warmth is in the Crest. More laughter. More life. The only feeling that’s been present in the ship during these past few months is the coldness from the harsh metal that the ship is made out of. No character, just silence.  
Life recently on the Crest during these past few months is so much different than how life is among these trees. Soft breezes brush across the slightly exposed skin on Mando’s neck. The sunshine beaming through the trees slightly blinds Mando through his visor. Birds chirping to each other as the families socialize with each other.  
Everything about the forest is something that you would love. No matter how many planets you’ve traveled together, you always notice the little things as you pass by them. Whether it’s a creature that whizzes by you, how the wind feels in your hair, or wondering what life would be like if you lived in a small town like the one he’s traveling to. You always make it a habit to point out the things that catch your eye, something that Mando looks forward to each time you leave the ship together. Maybe it’ll happen more often as the two of you continue to travel the galaxy together as you try to find someplace safe for the little one.

“Not now, little one.” You grumble underneath your breath as you don’t dare to open your eyes.  
Once Mando had left you and the baby alone on the Crest, you decided that taking a short nap was in order. You know that you need to get as much rest as you can when you have the chance, plus, all of the baby’s energy was consumed while you were playing with him earlier, or at least you thought it was.  
Right as you were beginning to fall asleep, you felt a sudden shift in weight on your left where you’re resting, immediately knowing it’s the baby joining you at your side. You ignored it at first, thinking that he just wanted to be near you during naptime, but you had to know he was up to something. It wasn’t even a minute later when he began tugging on whatever clothing he could grab. First, it was the bottom of the jacket that you’re using a makeshift blanket, then it was the upper sleeve of your shirt, and now it’s the baby physically shaking your body.  
As much as you adore the little one that just came into your life recently, all you want to do right now is to take a nap. The most sleep you’ve gotten in the past week is the nap Mando insisted you take when you first left Nevarro. You’ve never felt this exhausted in your life. From the anxieties eating at your mind in the middle of the night to having to take care of the baby during the day because something’s bothering him, you just wish the two of you could get some rest before your partner returns.  
But you’ve never been so lucky.  
Your entire body continues to shake because of the baby. Akin to your partner, a heavy sigh escapes your mouth when you know that he won’t leave you alone until you give him the attention he craves.  
As you adjust to lay down on your back, small claws attach themselves to your bicep, luckily not the same one where you got stabbed the previous day.  
“Don’t you want to take a nap?” You ask him as he doesn’t give you a response, not that you expected one anyway. He only tilts his head to the side as the soft grasp he has on you slightly increases.  
“What’s the matter?” You ask as you disregard the jacket that rests against your chest as wrap the little one in the crook of your elbow.  
You thought that you might be able to soothe him enough where he’ll fall asleep and you would be able as well, but you’ve never been so lucky. The little one only squirms out of your grasp as he runs towards the hull as fast as his little legs can.  
Defeated, you know that you wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing that he would be unsupervised. You quickly pick up the jacket that lays by your side as you chase after the baby who’s currently letting out giggles.  
“How about we play a game?”

“Can I help you?” A gruff voice behind Mando interrupts the conversation that he’s having with one of the locals.  
“I’m looking for some work.” He replies as he turns around. A tall man, not much taller than himself, begins to approach him. The woman he was talking to distances herself from them as she scurries off in the opposite direction.  
Mando only arrived in the town a few minutes ago and he’s already brought more attention to himself than he would have liked to.  
“Work, eh?” The man responds as he lets out a howl, “what kind of work?”  
“I’m a hunter.”  
The man in front of him lets out another bellowing laugh. With his hands on his hips, slightly hovering over his holster that resides on his right side, Mando copies the man's actions, just in case.  
“There aren’t that many of your kind in these parts.” The man begins as he glances over the vendor table that they’re standing near, “just between me and you, there’s a rumor going around that a group of Mandalorians attacked a town in this sector after one of their own went rogue. You don’t know anything about that, do ya?”  
“I wasn’t with them when they arrived.”  
“Hmm…”  
Mando’s hands rest at his sides. The sooner he can get out of here the better.  
“Well, luckily, you came to town because we need help.”  
The man goes on about the recent problem that the town has been having. As of late, two unknown attackers have been raiding the town and terrorizing the locals. No one knows what they look like, but they always attack when the vendors are at their most vulnerable. Only one of the assailants will make themselves known at a time. The town only knows that there are two of them because of the descriptions the locals have given after the attack occurred.  
The attackers only take what they need for a few days. Locals are terrified to be alone because the attackers are less likely to make themselves known if there’s a huge crowd of people.  
“I do my best to protect them,” The man gestures as the town folks chat amongst themselves as they exchange business, “but I can’t protect everyone all at once.”  
“So you need me to make sure they don’t visit your town again?”  
“Just enough to scare them away from these parts, but do what you have to.”  
“How much?”  
“Say a pouch full of credits and a place to stay for the night?”  
“I don’t-“  
“You won’t be able to find them tonight. Too soon. The last attack was only three nights ago. They’ll  
be back within the next day or so.”  
Though reluctantly, Mando agrees. He’ll be able to complete the job tomorrow night then see you by morning.  
Today is going to be a long day.

The once lively town is now filled with silence. When he first arrived in town, the townspeople were as lively as ever. They were chatting amongst themselves, friends catching up with each other, exchanging business deals. But now, as he glances around, hardly any chatter can be heard. The sudden dead silence of the town is almost unnerving- almost like the town itself knows something eerie is on the horizon.  
Mando first noticed just how quiet everything got when he was talking to one of the townsfolk about the recent attacks they have been experiencing. He didn’t get a whole lot of information from the man who approached him earlier and getting a clearer idea of what’s been happening in this area will make it easier to prevent another attack from happening.  
From the few individuals he’s already spoken to, they always tell the same story: one unseen attacker will come into town with their face covered as they raid a vendor or two for some supplies that they can live off of for the next few days. After hearing the stories, Mando sees the reason why they keep coming back: the townspeople make easy prey since they don’t fight back. They’re so filled with terror that they’ll do anything to appease the attackers. The only time someone was able to fight them off was during the first attack, where one of the townspeople tried to fight off the attackers, only for the villager to spend the next week in the local medcenter thanks to their injuries.  
As Mando is speaking to one of the townsfolk, he notices that their attention is suddenly pulled away from him and is now focused down the road. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary at first glance, but before he’s able to investigate it, a loud scream is all that can be heard. His blaster is immediately in his grasp. He tells the person he was previously conversing with to get someplace safe as he goes to investigate it.  
When he heads in the direction where the scream was heard, nothing seems to be out of place. The closest vendors on this side of the town seem perfectly normal: all of the items they’re trying to sell are still neatly piled on their tables. Besides the vendors no longer taking guard of their shops, everything seems the same as when Mando first entered the town. But sees how wrong he is when he spots one of the locals laying down helplessly on the grassy floor.  
As he quickly approaches the figure, blaster still in his hand, he sees that they were only knocked unconscious. When he crouches down, he finds their pulse is normal after checking. No life-threatening injuries could be found on their body.  
From what he’s learned about what has been happening in this town recently, this attack seems bizarre. Attacking an innocent for no reason. All of the attacks all happen for the same reason: for supplies. But this attack is different from the others.  
Standing up to his full height, Mando can feel that something is different all of the sudden.  
Before he’s able to gain a sense of his surroundings, a sudden blaster shot deflects off of one of his pauldrons. A yelp leaves his lips as he turns around, only to be faced with one of the assailants, he assumes, that has been terrorizing the town.  
Their face is covered. Their eyes are the only feature that are visible. Dark eyes. Brown eyes.  
Their figure is small. Much smaller than yours. Not small enough to think that they have no strength, but small enough to be able to blend in a crowd easily. But before he has the time to aim his blaster at them, the trees make their figure disappear into thin air.


End file.
